Champagne Jayne at Sydney s Secret Garden Zeta Bar Hilton - Yahoo!7

I’ve always been a big fan of escapist epicurean experiences. At the end of a hard week there is something quite liberating about stepping out of city mode and straight into the magical wonderland of Mistress Mary Afternoon Tea, courtesy of the fun-loving folk at Hilton Sydney’s award-winning Zeta Bar (named one of Best 50 bars in the world by Drinks International Magazine in 2010).

Credit: Champagne Jayne

Every Friday from 15 February starting at 6pm, Zeta’s outdoor terrace will be fancifully transformed into a magical Secret Garden, complete with manicured lawns and cool outdoor furniture – where you can indulge in sweet and savoury treats while listening to cool jazz as you swop frivolous tall tales with cheeky garden gnomes.

Mistress Mary Afternoon TeaYour fantasy afternoon tea features dainty sandwiches including crab, cucumber and watercress; and house smoked salmon, rocket and cream cheese served on homemade brioche, alongside a selection of delicious macarons, edible pink and white spotted marshmallow toadstools, raspberry mousse and home-baked scones served with rose petal cream. A decadent delight for all the senses worth A$45 per person.

Credit: Champagne Jayne

To match the sleek surrounds of Secret Garden, each of Zeta’s famous mixologists has also created a special progressive cocktail (A$18) to complement Mistress Mary Afternoon Tea. Sparkling wines, spirits and seasonal ingredients including summer berries, citrus and garden herbs take centre stage in these creations, but you can also opt for a more class High Tea with a glass of 2009 Chandon vintage brut (A$15) or a flute of Champagne Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial (A$30) on the side.

The Secret Garden menu also offers 6 specialist cocktails with something for every palate, but my personal favourite by far is the Tweedledum (served punch style presented in a smoking tea pot for two):

Tweedle Dum by Chad Choulai Inspired by Chad’s two favourite characters from Alice in Wonderland – TweedleDee and TweedleDum, Zeta’s Tweedledum cocktail is a playful pot of tea – full of gin combined with seasonal fresh strawberries, Basil and limoncello and Chandon sparkling wine to top it up, served in matching dainty china cups for two.

Mistress Mary Afternoon Tea, set in the whimsical Secret Garden at Hilton’s Zeta Bar in Sydney, is the perfect restorative remedy to a hard week at work!

Where Fashion Meets FizzSince its launch in 2005, Hilton’s Zeta Bar has won multiple awards year on year for its bartenders, playful drinks, cocktail classics and seasonal trend setting concepts. To add extra spice to the Secret Garden recipe, Sydney fashion blogger ‘Sneakypeek’ (aka Monique Freidlander) will be joining The Secret Garden Friday night frivolity to uncover the most fashionable lady on the night who will win prizes from Moët & Chandon.